CHOW 2021 will open with a circle of connection, offering traditional blessings and tributes to their lands, communities, and the waters that sustain them.
Speakers:
- Francis Gray, Tribal Chair, Piscataway Conoy Tribal Council
- Queen Quet, Chieftess and Head-of-State, Gullah/Geechee Nation
- Atuatasi Lelei Peau, Superintendent, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
- Sol Pili Kahoʻohalahala, Kupa ʻāina o Lānaʻi
- Ilarion ‘Kuuyux’ Merculieff, Founder and President, Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways
Sponsored by: Yamaha Rightwaters
Home to more than 4 million people, the islands of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa and Guam sit on the frontlines of a rapidly accelerating climate crisis. There, the islands and the communities that live on them face disproportionate climate impacts because of their size, low elevation, relatively remote geographical location, and concentration of coastal infrastructures. Yet, they remain on the periphery of U.S. ocean and climate policy. The panel will discuss the specific ocean and climate issues facing island communities including public health, ocean and climate impacts, management of natural resources and how these islands’ people are rising to meet the challenges in their own communities.
Opening Remarks
- The Honorable Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, U.S. House of Representatives, Northern Marianas Islands
- The Honorable Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, U.S. House of Representatives, American Samoa
- The Honorable Jenniffer González-Colón, U.S. House of Representatives, Puerto Rico
Moderator
- Esther Kia’aina, Executive Director, Pacific Basin Development Council
Speakers
- The Honorable Talauega Eleasalo Vaalele Ale, Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
- The Honorable Sheila Babauta, Chair, Natural Resources Committee, Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature
- Kemit-Amon Lewis, Marine Scientist, Perry Institute for Marine Science
- Lirio Márquez-D’Acunti, Executive Director, Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust
- Austin J. Shelton, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, University of Guam
From subsistence fishing in the rivers and coasts to offshore commercial fisheries that span entire ocean basins, people depend on the ocean and Great Lakes for sustenance and for culture. Access to healthy, sustainable seafood depends on water quality and also a family or individual’s income. This session will focus on the experiences of communities working on sustainable food systems and strategies that can be deployed to expand access to food security and address injustices in their waters.
Opening Remarks
- The Honorable Jared Huffman, U.S. House of Representatives, CA-02 and Chair, House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife
Moderator
- Ambrose Jearld, Jr., PhD, MS. BS., Former Director of Academic Programs, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (ret.)
Speakers
- Mary Beth Jäger, Research Analyst, Native Nations Institute and Co-lead, Indigenous Foods Knowledges Network
- Pepper Roussel, Attorney, Ecoculinarean, Food Writer and Activist, Green Pepper Solutions
- Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler, JD, President, Commercial Fishermen Union, Rincón, Puerto Rico
- Julie Patton Lawson, Director, Washington DC Mayor’s Office of the Clean City
From sea-level rise and coastal erosion to extreme weather events, climate change is disrupting lives in coastal communities. Socioeconomic disparities create uneven vulnerabilities. The discussion will highlight efforts underway to address these vulnerabilities, the information and services that communities need to address these changing conditions, and strategies that communities are developing to address climate resilience.
“Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths” (E.O. 13985). A key feature of recent efforts to advance racial equity is data collection. This panel will focus on the importance of gathering data, the critical data to collect, and the benefits of that data collection to drive policy change to improve ocean health, support community resilience, and strengthen climate action.
Climate change and sustainable development are a common concern to humankind. The Paris Agreement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the Convention on Biological Diversity recognize that the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities should be respected, promoted and considered in policy agreements. This plenary will focus on how these international mandates and discussions provide a key platform for building access and power into policy-making.
Moderator
- Nathan J. Bennett, Ph.D., Principle Investigator, The Peopled Seas Initiative & Chair, People and the Ocean Specialist Group, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Speakers
- Queen Quet, Chieftess and Head-of-State, Gullah/Geechee Nation
- Sophia Kianni, Founder, Climate Cardinals
- Nisreen Elsaim, Chair, United Nations Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
- Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah
Sponsored by: COMPASS
How would marine and freshwater science, management and policy change if our workplaces reflected the racial and ethnic diversity of our nation? This plenary will examine the commitment to JEDI efforts within federal, research, and nongovernmental institutions and agencies and strategies that will be necessary to accelerate the hiring of Black, Indigenous and People of Color, as well as other historically excluded communities within the fields of science, policy and conservation.
Opening Remarks
- The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. House of Representatives, TX-30 and Chairwoman, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Moderator
- Whitney Tome, Principal, The Raben Group
Speakers
- Andrés Jimenez, Executive Director, Green 2.0
- Quentin Tyler Ph.D., Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Michigan State University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Jalonne L. White-Newsome, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, Empowering A Green Environment and Economy, LLC
- Francisco “Paco” Ollervides, Executive Director, Green Leadership Trust
- Leonard Pace, Science Program Senior Manager, Schmidt Ocean Institute
- Chanté Coleman, Vice President of Equity and Justice, National Wildlife Federation
Protected areas need to represent the full breadth of experiences of people living in the United States and honor co-design and co-management with Indigenous and local communities. This session will highlight efforts to make our National Marine Sanctuary System and marine monuments more inclusive of all people.
Opening Remarks
- The Honorable Salud Carbajal, U.S. House of Representatives, CA-24
- The Honorable Kaiali’i Kahele, U.S. House of Representatives, HI-02
Moderator
- Kris Sarri, President and CEO, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Speakers
- Keola Lindsay, Hawai`i Island Trustee, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
- Janine Ledford, Executive Director and Makah Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Makah Cultural and Research Center
- Violet Sage Walker, Vice Chairwoman, Northern Chumash Tribal Council
- Justin Dunnavant, Ph.D., President, Society of Black Archaeologists
Sponsored by: The Marine Mammal Commission
Indigenous knowledge and wisdom strengthens our understanding of the planet and improves decision-making. National and global discussions often fail to consider this knowledge and wisdom. Indigenous and traditional communities need allies and funders who support their efforts to develop their own organized systems that increase their presence while developing the capacity to respond to the needs of Western science. The panel will highlight examples of how communities and scientists use indigenous and local knowledge and wisdom to address ocean and Great Lakes health and climate impacts.
Opening Remarks
- Peter Thomas, Executive Director, Marine Mammal Commission
- The Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senate, Alaska and Co-Chair, Senate Oceans Caucus
Moderator
- Kyle Whyte, Ph.D., George Willis Pack Professor, University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability
Speakers
- Ilarion ‘Kuuyux’ Merculieff, Founder and President, Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways
- Shavonne F. Smith, Environmental Director, Shinnecock Indian Nation
- Dr. Ayana Omilade Flewellen, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside and Board Member, Diving with a Purpose
- Allison Smart, M.S., Environmental Division Manager, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Natural Resources Department
In 2022, the nation will celebrate the 50th anniversary of major environmental legislation, including the National Marine Sanctuary Act (part of the Ocean Dumping Act), the Coastal Zone Management Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Congress is also considering legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act and address climate change and the ocean. This plenary will examine federal legislative and executive policies that can move us towards a deeper integration of justice and equity principles.
Opening Remarks
- Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of the Interior
- The Honorable Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senate, Washington and Chair, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- The Honorable Raul Grijalva, U.S. House of Representatives, AZ-03 and Chair, House Natural Resource Committee
Moderator
- Russell F. Smith, Consultant, Flen Consulting
Speakers
- Taqulik Hepa, Director, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management
- Nahal Ghoghaie, Environmental Justice Manager, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
- Joe Oatman, Deputy Department Manager and Harvest Division Director, Nez Perce
- Les W. Burke, JD, Founder, Jr. Scientists in the Sea